Word of the Week: Wissensdurst
Nov 1, 2013
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(© dpa)
Have you ever had a burning desire to learn something new? Do you have
an archive of never-ending questions? Then you’ve most likely
experienced Wissensdurst. In German, the word Wissen means knowledge and Durst means thirst.
“I got her the complete set of the Oxford Reading Tree books when she was two and she read through the whole set of 30 in about an hour,” Dr. Matthew Hankins, the girl’s father, told the Daily Mail.
The German media described Hankins as a genius with an insatiable Wissensdurst, constantly seeking new knowledge to keep herself occupied.
© Germany.info
The
only way this fundamental human need can be satisfied is by obtaining
the knowledge that you so profoundly crave. Occasionally the word Wissenshunger is used to describe ones hunger for knowledge. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, Wissensdurst describes a more urgent need, since humans can survive longer without food than without water.
Let’s take a look at an example where an unquenchable Wissensdurst recently played a major role in the education of a young British girl.
Heidi
Hankins, a five-year-old girl from Hampshire, has an IQ of 159, which
is approximately the same as that of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking
(both had IQ scores of 160 and an unquenchable Wissensdurst). In comparison: the average person has an IQ score of about 100.
Enlarge image
(© dpa)
At 18 months, Hankins taught herself to read using a computer. When she
was two years old, she was reading books, painting and performing tasks
meant for seven-year-olds. At age three, she was learning math. One year
later, Hankins had her IQ tested and was admitted into Mensa, the
largest and oldest IQ society in the world.“I got her the complete set of the Oxford Reading Tree books when she was two and she read through the whole set of 30 in about an hour,” Dr. Matthew Hankins, the girl’s father, told the Daily Mail.
The German media described Hankins as a genius with an insatiable Wissensdurst, constantly seeking new knowledge to keep herself occupied.
Hankins is clearly an extreme case, but anyone can exhibit Wissensdurst
by craving an answer to a burning question or displaying curiosity,
inquisitiveness or a unique desire to learn. So next time you’re on a
quest for knowledge, head to a library and tell your friends and family
that you have been overcome by a powerful Wissensdurst that must be satisfied similarly to the feelings of thirst and hunger.
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